Prophecy Preffered
by The Mad Hatter's second cousin
Summary: After a terrible attack on the Hogwarts express Dumbledore decides that Harry needs extra protection. Frustrated by his invisible shaddow Harry yearns for human contact, brought together by a second prophecy he and Severus fight against all odds to begin
1. Chapter 1

_Good morning my perverted pretties, maybe I'll get somewhere with this one._

_Don't get your hopes up._

_I own nothing… I mean really are people that stupid?_

_Well of course it's another Snarky-Snarry, I have a few ideas running around my head for a snupin and a rape… (SSxRM and RBxSS) But time will tell._

_Talking about time… "TEA TIME IS THE BEST TIME!"_

_(Post sixth year, books 6&7 disregarded as per usual)_

_And yes I know it's obvious who the person is but let's just pretend._

_After a terrible attack on the Hogwarts Express dumbledore decides that Harry needs extra protection. Harry is frustrated by his new invisible shaddow and yearns for human contact, brought together by a second prophecy he and Severus fight against all odds to begin their shattered lives again._

_SLASH! HPXSS_

_If that makes you sick then PO_

**Prophecy preferred**

Harry was an awkward kid, at the age of sixteen he was a mere 5.3 and skinny as a rake. He was pale, with a mop of shocking black hair, unruly and untamable. His clothes were baggy, I'll fitting and old, his shoes were beginning to form holes and were getting far too small for his feet, which by comparison to his dorm mates were quite petite. Yes, Harry Potter was awkward. But his eyes, that of a man, told that he was wise beyond his years, having seen what no child should ever see.

That was Harry's life, horrifying and awkward.

It was only two weeks ago that he had left Hogwarts, his magical school of witchcraft and wizardry. Two weeks since the Hogwarts express had been attacked by the Death Eaters. Thankfully nobody had been killed, only a few hurt, none serious, it could have been worse; in fact the Death Eaters had come so close to killing them all it was almost unthinkable.

The older students had kept them at bay from the moving train as they flew around them, circling them on brooms or midair, casting curses at the fiends from the train windows. They were too strong for them all, if that strange man hadn't turned up…

Harry shuddered at the thought.

But the man! Who was the man? He seemed so familiar but Harry couldn't place it, he hadn't even glanced at the wizard's face. He had swooped from the sky down to the roof of the train, from there it was a blur, there was a bright flash and suddenly the Death Eaters were gone.

Dumbledore had owled Harry later that night, and the news had not pleased Harry, saying that he was now going to be under constant surveillance from an order member. He would be able to live a normal summer, walk where he pleased as long as he returned to four privet drive by nightfall.

_Great,_ he thought_, that's all I need, a second bloody shadow_.

He had expected it to be obvious, some strange person following him everywhere, two feet behind him. However, the only clue that someone _was_ there was the weird sensation of being watched.

_Still_, Harry thought,_ must be a dull job, poor bloke. _

Harry didn't even get a glance of his new shadow until two weeks into the holidays.

Harry had got up, dressed, eaten, cleaned the kitchen, weeded the garden, mowed the lawns scrubbed the bathroom and been the verbal punching bag of all Vernon's frustrations all before midday. So he decided to take a walk up to the park.

The walk there had been uneventful, except for a loud crash and a sickening crack, followed by a short string of curse words. Harry spun around to see a bin over turned and rolling away down the street but no man in sight. He could tell by the cursing it was a man. That voice… he had heard that voice before…

Continuing to walk down the road, he passed Dudley, his whale cousin, and a gang of his cronies. As usual, Harry was threatened and had rocks thrown at him, inviting him to take the bait, but he ignored them and continued on his way, not listening to their words. A few minutes later he was sitting on an old rusty swing, scuffing his toes in the dirt. He was lonely, frustrated. There was somebody he knew no more than fifty feet away from him and he couldn't talk to them.

_Wait! _He thought suddenly,_ it never specified that!_

Filling with excitement, and keeping his eyes to his shoes, Harry began to talk.

"It's a bit dull here," he said. "Not much to do really, bet you're bored."

Nothing

"God this must be the worst job going in the Order. Real conscript stuff huh?" He heard a faint sigh from his left. "I mean c'mon, if you wanted to be this bored all you'd have to do is sit in one of Bin's history lectures."

A low chuckle sounded, footsteps, moving a bit behind him to his right! Harry spun around to see… Nobody again.

"Damn it! Why can't I know who you are? This isn't fair! Not only am I bloody segregated all holidays but now I'm being followed by some creep because it's _"for my own good"_!

"HEY! BIG D! YOUR COUSINS FINALY CRACKED! HE'S TALKN' TO 'IMSELF!"

Harry spun around to see one of Dudley's friends standing at the park fence, the others coming up behind him.

"What the fuck _Potter_?"Dudley spat as he lumbered across the grass to stand in front of the smaller boy, towering over him like some fat giant. "You lost some marbles?" The boys laughing stupidly, two hi-fived behind them, forever being the faithful bulldogs.

"Fuck you Dudley," Harry said calmly. "Or should I say _Duddy-kins _like Mummy?" This sent the beast over the edge, Dudley shot forward with remarkable speed and threw Harry to the ground, punching his hard in the jaw. Harry couldn't get his footing and was beaten to a pulp. Dudley grasped the back of Harry's head by his hair and slammed his face on a protruding chunk of cement. He could feel ever bone shatter, his glasses long ago broken a terrible pain in his left eye.

What Harry couldn't tell was that the reason he felt such a shocking pain in his left eye was because a shard of glass had punctured his eyelid and had gone straight through his cornea.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOooOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Well that's installment one. More to come soon my perverted lovelies!

THMSC


	2. Chapter 2

_My apologies for the lateness, but I hope you like it, moving at a pace that will be consistent throughout. I only hope to make this story ten or so chapters long. _

_I own nothing you recognize from the originals._

_There is a part in this that is Elvish, translation will be supplied below every time it is used._

_**Chapter two**_

It hurt. Everything hurt, his head was split, his eye ached and all he could think about was whether he was dead or not.

_I have to be dead…_

_But this isn't what death is like…_

_How the hell would you know!?_

_Good point, but if I'm not dead then where am I?_

_Open your eyes and find out stupid. _

"I wouldn't do that just yet," said a low voice. "I haven't finished the incantation." And sure enough Harry felt a cool wave of relief flow through his body. Circulating his system and coming to swell in his hurting eye, which soon became numb.

"That will take a few minutes to heal but you should be fine."

Harry's head was beginning to clear and rational thoughts were beginning to form as the pain subsided. His first thought was "_Where the fuck Am I?_"

His second was _"Who the hell is next to me?"_

And, "_Wait… Where's Dudley?"_

All he managed to say through his swollen lips was "Fere-em-eh?"

"I beg your pardon Mr Potter?" He asked, as he put a cool hand on Harry's burning forehead, "You have a fever… Shit, I'm not qualified for this."

"Where am I?!" Harry repeated, using what little energy he had left, noting the black cloak covering his body.

"In the alley, Mr Potter, not too far from the park. Your cousin attacked you."  
"Yeah I remember," Harry replied testily, "Who are you?" There was silence for a few moments, the cool palm was removed, and as if the man was unsure he should answer, he said. "Mr Potter I am the man that was sent to look after you, it seems I failed."

Harry's heart stopped, _the_ man? Lunging up from his lying position he clung to the body leaning over him, hanging on as if his life depended on it. "Oh God," He cried, "It's you!"

"How can you be so relieved?" The man asked. "You don't even know who _"you"_ is yet."

Harry opened his eyes; His vision flowing in and out of focus he could see thick strands of dark hair in front of his nose and a slimy concrete wall beyond that for a moment before it all became a mush of dull colour. His fingers released the man's clothes ever so slightly as he shifted backwards to see the man's face, focusing hard, he was met with two glittering dark eyes that he was oh so familiar with. "Professor!" He gasped softly, quickly letting go and shuffling backwards to put distance between their two bodies. "I'm sorry sir I didn't realize."

Snape merely shrugged and replied with a hum as he raised his hand to Harry's eye, gently applying pressure to the soft tissue. "Are you in pain? How is your sight fairing?"

"I'm fine," Harry replied, he was still completely awe struck by the fact Severus Snape was in Surrey. "It takes a bit to keep focus, but I can see." He looked to the ground, surprised that he was lying on concrete; he couldn't feel the hard ground through the cloak he had been wrapped in. Silence met his words. "It's getting late," Snape finally replied. "I should be getting you back to Privet Drive."

"NO!" Snape was startled by the strong response. "I can't go back… I mean Dudley…"

Realization passed Snape's face; He mentally kicked himself for being so thoughtless. Placing a hand on the boy's shoulder he said, "He won't harm you, nor will the others." Visibly shaking Harry nodded, and slowly stood. He leant against the concrete wall, glancing down at the kneeling man in front of him.

"How do you know that for sure?" He asked warily.

"Because," Snape said standing, he winced at the pain that shot through his back. "I cursed your cousin." Harry was shocked, this man, the man that had made his life a living hell for years, had saved his life by cursing his cousin in plain sight of at least seven other muggle boys. "The others, they would have seen you do it…"

"Yes.

Harry was at a loss for words, how? Why? But Harry's flustered musings were cut short by the look if utter exhaustion overcoming his professor, "Professor? Are you ok?" But the question was unanswered, Snape collapsed to the ground, slouching forward on his knees, landing at Harry's feet on the cloak. Harry swooped down over the man, checking for a pulse and breathing, he realized that he had passed out.

Not sure of what to do, Harry wrapped the man in the cloak, sat down and waited.

…o0O0o…

"Potter… _Potter wake up! Now!_"

Harry jerked awake, hitting his head on the cement wall. "OUCH!" He cried out, rubbing the back of his already tender head. "_Hush boy! Do you want to kill us both?_" Snape whispered. Harry's senses were slowly making a comeback, his eyes spinning in and out of focus.

"What time is it?" He asked, as he began to remember the day he'd had. Snape grabbed his wrists and hauled him up with surprising strength, flinging the cloak around the boy's shoulders.

"Late." Snape replied as he steadied himself against the wall, pinching the bridge of his nose, his face contorted in pain. "We have to be careful." Taking Harry by the upper arm, he walked from the alley to the vegetation of someone's garden. They slowly made their way down the road, Snape making sure they were under the cover of darkness always. Harry was confused but followed silently, still in the grasp of the older wizard.

Suddenly Snape dropped one knee to the ground, dragging Harry down, "Did you hear that?" He whispered. Harry shook his head. "_Listen…_"

He heard it that time. A soft moan in the distance, deep in the shadows, then another and another... "_What is that?_" Harry hissed in the man's ear.

"_They_ are why you can't leave the house at night. _Come_."

They darted from the greenery, crossed the road and made for Privet Drive one block away; Harry could see the front door of his relative's house. Relief filled his stomach only to be extinguished by a roar from behind.

Dark figures were coming toward them with great speed; Snape took Harry by the hand and ran toward the house, "Quickly Potter!" He called over his shoulder as they sped down the street. Harry could practically feel their breath on his skin, their footsteps a second behind their own.

Leaping over the low wall, they landed in a heap on the perfectly manicured grass of number four Privet Drive. Harry scrambled to his feet spinning around to see the horrid figures on the other side of the wall. They began to leave, melting into the darkness, all but one.

It stood, every breath a gasping whoosh, making its entire body heave in the exertion. Its flesh was neither liquid or muscle, but an oozing, bubbling mass of slime of black and grey. It stood seven feet tall, legs bent like an animal's, clawed and scaled. The head of the beast was indistinguishable from the body mass, only a mouth that would be lost in the slime unless ripped open by its own jaws. It had arms, but they also would be lost until lifted from its sides, merely lengths of the putrid flesh ending in long sharp claws, the sludge dripping on the ground.

Harry did not notice that he had begun walking toward the monster; he did not see that he was inches away from the beast, hand up and about to touch it until he was thrown back by strong arms and snapped from his reverie.

"_Auta n'alaquel huan en' angamandu nala lle kena gurtha!" _Snape cried, the strange words flowing from his tongue like silk. "_Gad il har sina yamen__!_"

The creature roared, its rancid breath filling the air with its putrid scent before it turned away and disappeared like the others.

"What was that?" Harry asked for a second time, shaking violently. Snape turned to face the boy reaching forward and pulling the cloak tighter around Harry's lithe form.

"_Ilmen ana e Kaleanae."_He said softly, looking over his shoulder to the road. "Watcher to the Night in translation, more commonly called Draugr in Magical European history."

"You spoke to it… I couldn't understand you." Harry said quietly as Snape led him to the front door. "Yes, Elvish. Not very common nowadays but a powerful tongue none the less, it's respected by all magical creatures."

They reached the front door and Snape gave a snort at the ghastly door bell, a flower, it was bright yellow petals surrounding a button. "What are you going to do?" Harry asked.

"I beg your pardon?" Snape asked, looking away from the appliance.

"You can't go out there again." Snape looked over his shoulder with a sigh. "Stay here." Harry said, opening the door.

"Your relatives…" Snape began.

"Just get upstairs quick, they're watching T.V."

Snape walked through the door, and sure enough to his left was the door to the sitting room, two large men sitting on the settee with their backs to them, silhouetted by the television news, the reporter as calling a London wide emergency.

"_News has come in that there will be a violent and unprecedented drop in temperature tonight between the hours of one and three A.M. The temperature is predicted to fall as low as negative 23 degrees, specialists say to rug up make your homes as warm as possible and do not sleep alone if at all."_

A shrill voice from the kitchen called out. "Dudders, Vernon! What do you want for dessert? I have trifle or pudding!"

Snape looked back at Harry who motioned him to follow, they made their way upstairs and into a small room with little more than a bed, desk and cupboard. There were few personal possessions and no magical artifacts to be seen. Sitting awkwardly on the bed as Potter closed the door, Snape began to wonder why the hell he had stayed.

Harry walked over to the bed and sat beside his professor, feeling the tension from the man. "Are you ok?" He asked timidly glancing sideward's. Snape sighed, and turned his head to look at the boy. "My back aches, I have a migraine coming and I am magically exhausted… You?"

Harry smirked, "My head hurts, I'm still scared shitless about those things outside, but I can see… without glasses I've just realized, I'll probably start dancing tomorrow cause it's that important to me, I hated those things… but now I'm too tired."

Snape stood, and stretched, "I'll sleep on the floor, and you get some rest."

"No." Harry said defiantly. "You can't sleep on the floor, it will kill you! You heard the news; it's going to be below freezing tonight."

"Won't your family make some other sleeping arrangements for you?" Snape asked, getting a bit annoyed by his choice to stay.

"No." Harry laughed, making Severus feel rather unsettled.

Severus, pinched the bridge of his nose in thought, he was too exhausted to cast even the simplest of spells right now let alone something powerful enough to warm them from such temperatures. He sighed for the third time that night. "Fine," He conceded, "Take off your shirt, it will only insulate cold air, it's easier to share body heat if there is skin to skin contact."

Harry nodded and obeyed as he watched Severus remove his own white buttoned up shirt, remove his shoes and climb in to the small single bed with Harry, he flung the cloak over the blankets and placed his surprisingly muscular arms around him.

"We speak about this to no one." The potions Master growled, resting his chin on the raven haired boy's head.

Resting his forehead on the man's firm chest Harry grinned.

He loved erratic weather patterns…

…o0O0o…

_Lol!! I'm so funny!!_

_Oh I wonder what will happen…?_

_Moo ha ha!_

_**Elvish**_

_-Auta n'alaquel huan en' angamandu nala lle kena gurtha! Gad il har sina yamen!_

_**(Go back hound of hell before you see death! Stay not near this place!)**_

_-Ilmen ana e Kaleanae_

_**(Watcher to the night)**_


End file.
